Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Hemorrhoid Yarn, Get Your Hemorrhoid Yarn!

I occasionally experience a form of writer’s block when coming up with names for new colorways. Sometimes my colorways are named very specifically and with zero nuance and creativity: “Shades of Teal” for example. The name just says it all. Other times, the name of a colorway may be based more on a general feeling that the colorway evokes: “Marrakesh” for example. For me, the name evokes images of an exotic land, aromatic spices, rich and earthy colors tinged with golden hues.

Right now, I’m experiencing writer’s block on a new colorway. I recently created a rainbow-dyed colorway called Brick House, which is on superwash merino sock yarn. I now have a new colorway on merino sock yarn (not superwash) and alpaca/wool yarn. The problem is that this new colorway also has a certain “brick” feel to it. It’s quite different from the Brick House colorway though, in that this new colorway leans much more toward pinkish tones of brick, paired with shades of gentle mocha. The Brick House colorway is more of a deep brick blend, leaning toward burnt orange and umber shades of brick. I definitely don’t want to use the term “brick” again in the name of the new colorway, as the two are so very different! But what to call it?

I turned to my husband for ideas. His response: Hemorrhoid!

His suggestion does not mean that this colorway is ugly, nor does it mean that it evokes images of dilated veins and swollen tissue. And I swear to you – it definitely does not evoke images of an anus! Dear hubby’s suggestion doesn’t mean anything of the sort. No, his suggestion was more akin to the type of response you might receive from a 3-year-old if you asked him to name his new kitten. “Poopyhead,” he cries in his loudest 3-year old voice! Yep. That’s my husband. A 200-pound 3-year-old.

But alas, now that he has said it, every time I look at this yarn all I can think of is HEMORRHOID. Sigh. A tiny little part of me actually wants to call it Hemorrhoid, but I shall resist that temptation.